Payton Pritchard once again proves Celtics' genius with explosive performance

The Celtics capped off their three-game homestand with an impressive win over the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta entered the evening having won 14 of their last 15 games. Boston entered the night without their leading scorer, Jaylen Brown, who was listed out with Achilles tendinitis in the hours leading up to tip-off.

Here's what stood out:

Payton Pritchard was the Celtics’ EKG in this game

“Clear.”

That’s what should’ve been said when Payton Pritchard subbed in for his first shift of the night with 6:08 to play in the first quarter. The Celtics were down by eight after Jalen Johnson sank the second of two free throws.

He brought them back to life. By the time the first frame came to an end, Pritchard already had seven points, which he capped off with a buzzer-beating finish to bring Boston within three.

Pritchard added on 12 more points in the second to bring his first-half total to 19, and more importantly, to help the Cs keep pace with the Hawks.

Another 13 in the third helped put Boston in a prime position to come away with a win heading into the fourth.

He finished the night with a game-high 36 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists on 13-23 from the field.

Pritchard’s explosive scoring was vital in the Celtics’ effort with Brown sidelined for the Eastern Conference clash. He once again proved the front office to be genius for locking him down on a team-friendly contract.

First full game with just Jayson Tatum was… okay?

Friday marked the first full game that Jayson Tatum has played without Brown since returning to the Celtics’ lineup on Mar. 6. He was left to fend for himself in the second half of the Mar. 10 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, after JB was ejected late in the second quarter, but again, it was first full game “by himself” on Friday.

It went.. Fine.

Tatum is still clearly working his way back to peak performance, but put together a solid night in spite of that. His second half, specifically, was an encouraging sign. Not only did he recover from a rough 2-11 start in the opening 24 minutes, but he served as the focal point for Boston’s late game offense.

Tatum scored 16 of his 26 points in the final frame. He was aggressive, looked for his shots in a healthy way, and got himself to the charity stripe. JT knocked down six of his seven attempts from the line as he helped Boston hold on to an impressive win against a red-hot Atlanta team.

Oh hey, Jordan Walsh!

Jordan Walsh made his first appearance in 15 days when he checked into Friday’s meeting against the Hawks. He hadn’t played since the Mar. 12 loss in Oklahoma City, where he tallied eight points and three rebounds in 13 minutes vs. the Thunder.

Walsh made the most of his opportunity. Before even mentioning statistics, he gave the Cs some much needed energy off the bench. The former Arkansas standout hustled, defended, and sank a few baskets in his 27 minutes.

He finished the evening with five points, three rebounds, and three blocks. Not only was it a well-rounded night for Walsh, but he played himself onto the floor during crunch time.

If nothing else, he gave Joe Mazzulla and his staff a good reason to give him added opportunity in the final weeks of the regular season.